The Day of the Martyr
by titangirl797
Summary: She glanced down, wary of some villainous plot, and noted a box lying on the stone in front of her. A small box that was addressed to…her? She picked it up, noticing the scrawl on the front; the handwriting looked familiar, but she couldn’t place it.Sp/R
1. The Day of the Martyr

**Titangirl here, introducing the next oneshot in my repertoire. I hope you enjoy.**

**The Day of the Martyr by Titangirl797**

**Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics, Dashboard Confessional, or anything else I mention, except maybe the random workings of my own mind. I do own those, right?**

There are days when absolutely everything turns out perfectly, probably against the laws of nature. But still, they occur. They are days when the sun is shining, there's a good movie out, and the little kids don't bother you when you take a walk in the park after lunch.

It was not one of those days.

Now, don't get me wrong: it _was _one of those days, for about fifty percent of the world population. But for the other fifty percent, this specific day is a living hell.

February 14th. The day that celebrates a Catholic martyr in a predominately Protestant world. The day that promotes the sending of ready-to-wilt flower, candies, and, in this precise case, incredibly stupid singing cards.

_Even now I can see you sleep._

_I can see you dream._

_I can see you fly._

_And I can always find you agai –_

The red and pink card was slammed shut, the offending music being cut off. The cheesy words were cut off by a purple-haired, amethyst-eyed oddity, a scowling girl who glared at the card as if it had done her a great personal wrong. "Hell no," she growled, throwing the card in the trashcan, where it proceeded to explode in an amazing display of colored smoke, glitter, and macaroni art. The girl did not notice.

"I hate those damn things," she muttered to herself, taking her seat upon the couch. The others – her _friends_, she thought bitterly – had left that for her, hoping to get her into the spirit of the day. As if she needed another materialistic holiday – the winter ones were enough.

In all honesty, she was rather put out by this day. Not that she would tell a soul, but she was a tad jealous of her friends, her fellow heroes.

Robin and Starfire were made for each other. Maybe it had taken them a while – four years or so – but they were not just as aware of this fact as the rest of the human (and Tamaranian, and Kryptonian, and Thanagarian…) race was.

Cyborg and Bumble Bee – now that was an odd pair. Cute, but odd. They were always arguing with each other, playful banter that made the scowling girl's heart ache in ways she thought it couldn't/

And Beast Boy had gone out several hours earlier, in search of some "fine ladies" who "wanted some of that". She shuddered at the thought and prayed to whatever deity would listen that Beast Boy should not get a girl – she remembered what happened after Terra. He was a teensy bit clingy.

A knock on the door tore her out of her reverie, forcing her to move from the comfortable sofa. Hoping that whoever it was would just leave, she made her way to the kitchen, setting her tea pot on the stove to boil. She then walked – slowly – to the front hall and the front door. Answering was the hardest part.

She opened the door to see…no one. There was no one on the island, except for herself. She glanced down, wary of some villainous plot, and noted a box lying on the stone in front of her. A small box that was addressed to…her? She picked it up, noticing the scrawl on the front; the handwriting looked familiar, but she couldn't place it. She closed the door and sat in one of the nearby chairs. She carefully – boringly, Beast Boy would say – unwrapped the brown parcel. When she saw the telltale red of a horrid gift, she almost threw it out right then. She didn't really know what stopped her from doing it – she assumed that it was her curiosity. Something about it intrigued her; she wanted to know why she recognized the damn handwriting.

She removed the lid from the box and almost gasped: someone had sent her a box of bonbons!

It was a little known fact, but she had an intense addiction to chocolate, maybe because they didn't have it in Azarath. It was her one binge, and she binged greedily. For someone to know her well enough to send her favorite chocolate…well, it was appreciated.

She found a letter, tucked on the side of the box. Unfolding it, she found the same untidy scrawl that had frustrated her so only moments before.

_Raven – _

_Heard you have a bit of a sweet tooth._

_Enjoy._

_Love, Speedy_

Speedy, the narcissistic son of a bitch, had sent her a box of chocolate. Maybe there was a glimmer of someone who wasn't a fake in that heartless shell of a pretty boy. But, still, it begged the question: what the hell? Was the apocalypse coming?

Shaking off her surprise, she made her way back to the common room, hearing her tea whistle. She mused over the bonbons from Speedy as she made her tea, unfocused. She did not need to watch what she was doing; she had years of practice. She made her way to her room, chocolates under one arm and the tea mug in her hand. She hit the elevator button with her powers, not feeling up to taking the stairs. When she reached the fourth floor, she let the new lock system scan her palm – the one not holding the tea, of course – and it verified that it was truly her, not Clayface in disguise.

She entered her boudoir – it was cold and dark, the way she preferred it. Her friends, accustomed to sunlight and happy decorations, did not understand. Well, Robin did, at least. But none of them – with the obvious exception of Beast Boy – ever bothered her about it. Thrusting out her free hand, she magically lit the seven candles placed strategically around the room.

And then she saw it, just lying on her dark swathed bed – a rose, tied gently with a small length of black silk. A note was taped to the stem. She picked up the beautiful flower first, the strong scent potent in her closed room. Then she removed the note, delicately.

The same scrawl. Speedy again? Was he stalking her or something? She instinctively looked toward the dark curtained window and chuckled to herself. She was becoming more paranoid by the day.

_Raven – _

_Being alone sucks, especially on a day like today._

_Trust me, I know._

_So, want to go out tonight, just me and you?_

_Think on it._

_Speedy._

Did she want to go? Something had roared inside her, telling her to go, telling her to cast aside all inhibitions. She chose to ignore this for a moment and focus on the logic. This boy, whom she had barely spoken to before, whom she had written off as an arrogant idiot, was sending her sweet notes and perfect gifts, all chosen to her tastes. She had to smile; Speedy, _the _womanizing Speedy, was attempting to court her. One of the candles snuffed out. Damn! She needed control.

But…Trigon was gone, vanished, trapped in some parallel dimension. She was free to do as she liked. And she decided, impulsively, to follow that new emotion and see where it led. She wasn't usually one for new things – the same tea and daily rituals proved that – but something seemed different. Speedy was affecting her in ways she hadn't known of before, when she had the casual fling with the goth boy, or the small crush on Aqualad.

Damn the consequences, she thought. If she was going to go out, she'd go out with a bang!

She was going out with Speedy, and damn it all to hell if she wasn't excited.

**Wrote this in my science class today, so sorry if it is not up to par. I just felt like I really needed to post something…finally. So, enjoy. I'm considering a part two, kind of a "Raven and Speedy go on a date!" kind of thing, which I actually have a few ideas for. Oh, and did you like how during this entire story, I managed to not say the name of the holiday, which I refuse to utter now, because I don't want to break my streak?**

**Review! - Titangirl797**


	2. The Trickle Down Effect

**Alright, alright. I got some convincing arguments from a few FanFiction friends (especially my loyal reader TeenTitansGirl), so I've decided to make this a full length story. Not completely sure where this is going, so don't trust me when I say that it will ONLY be a short story, no more than four or five chapters wrong, okay? And don't be surprised if the chapters are absurdly short! I generally go for a nice, hm, twenty page chapter, but I'm in a hurry to post things, and working on much more than my love for FanFiction. Now, I'd also like to mention that there will be angst, romance, and a whole bunch of bad language. If you're okay with that, then keep reading (please?) but if you are not, I recommend leaving now. On a third note, I do not own the Teen Titans or anything related to DC Comics, though I wish I did and will one day buy them (except for Superman. Marvel can have him). Now, for those who actually read the lengthy author's note: President Zachary Taylor died from eating cold cherries and iced milk. Chew on THAT, why dontcha?**

**Chapter Two: The Trickle Down Effect**

She could not believe that she was doing this. She was understandably frustrated – what the hell did _casual _mean? Casual for her was her Titan uniform – apparently not normal attire for a teenage girl. She sighed; jeans and a tee shirt would have to do.

She pulled on her jeans – Starfire forced her to buy those dreaded type, oh what were they? Skinny jeans? She hated them with a fury so painful that it belonged in Hades with her father. A plain black top sufficed and a pair of red Chuck Taylors would have to do as well. He wanted casual? He'd get casual! She stepped in front of her full length mirror, tugging on a lock of her purple hair. She frowned and then exited her candle lit room, mildly satisfied with her appearance. She considered what she was doing as she made her way to the common room, stopping in her tracks when she realized that Beast Boy had returned from his wild excursion. He was playing Monkey Ninja Speed Racer, his game of choice, and did not seem to notice her at first. She was surprised – she hadn't heard him return.

The changling's ears twitched and he glanced up, catching the eyes of the Titan's resident sorceress. His ears – so feline in appearance – perked up as he saw her, dressed down. His mouth parted in shock. "Raven?" he asked incredulously. She felt the blood rush to her cheeks but said nothing, still making her way toward her freedom – the front door.

"You look…weird." This kind statement came from the green skinned changeling and Raven wasn't shocked. She barely wore anything other hand her uniform. She had a closet full of clothes that she had bought with the overly-enthusiastic Starfire, but had never worn most of them. From stripper clothes to a schoolgirl outfit, Raven had every possible outfit an undercover agent could dream of.

"Thanks," she muttered to the boy, obviously uncomfortable.

"Where are you going?" Beast Boy asked, seemingly lonely. Raven could empathize.

"What are you doing back?" Raven asked, avoiding the question. She was almost at the door – her sweet escape, a salvation from the embarrassment painted over her face. Beast Boy's ears drooped – obviously no luck with the girls.

She decided to answer his question: "I'm going out."

"It's Valentine's Day," the changeling stated, realization crossing his face. A few more feet to the door…

"Are you going out with someone? On a date?" he asked, speaking the question she hoped that he dared not utter to her. She reached the door as he asked the query. Opening it, she felt his disappointment – he believed that she wasn't going to answer. She turned to the boy.

"It's not a date," she said, uttering the loathsome word almost painfully. No one wanted to date a witch. Speedy just didn't want to be alone, that was all. "But yes," she concluded in a perfect monotone. She let the door slide closed, the two Titans on opposing sides, blocking his face from her view. She left the Tower by way of flight – she had briefly considered taking Robin's undercover motorcycle, but decided that she would rather face a fierce wind than the wrath of their fearless leader.

She was headed to the aptly named Joe's Diner – a small, out of the way restaurant owned by a man named Joe. Raven was just thankful that it wasn't the typical pizza dinner.

She reached the well-kept diner in a matter of minutes. The flight had been cold – cool winds were still floating off the bay – and she entered nervously, wishing she had her cloak so that she could cover her blushing face with her hood. _Too bad_, a small, sneaky voice said in her head.

She glanced around, a head of red hair catching her eye instantly. It was him, and he was raising his eyebrows at her. He then raised one hand and gestured her over. She immediately walked over and as she did, she caught a sniff of his cologne – French perhaps. Whatever it was, it made her walk faster, her stomach flipping upside down.

"Roy," she said, sitting across from the cocky, womanizing archer. Why was she there again? As she sat, she realized that he was not wearing his mask or his outfit. Instead, he was wearing jeans and a black sweater, which clung to his well-muscled frame.

"Raven," he said smoothly, giving her a smile that would make any normal, human girl swoon.

Thankfully, she was half demon. Her knees did feel a little weak, though.

"How are you?" Speedy asked, flashing another killer smile at her. He wanted small talk, but she wanted answers.

"Why did you ask me here, Roy?" she asked, reverting to his true name for effect. He raised his eyebrows at her. "I told you," he said, "in the note."

She remembered, but she wanted to hear it herself, to make everything understandable in her mind. She raised her eyebrows as well, performing the same piercing stare that she had made famous. Speedy crumpled under the weight. He sighed dramatically.

"It's Valentine's Day, Rae," he said, muttering her name, hoping that no one in this out of the way diner would recognize her as one of the heroes that graced their television screens every single night.

"I didn't want you, or me, to be alone."

Speedy was smooth, she had to give him that. As he delivered that line, he had looked her right in the eye, attempting to project sincerity. Sadly, the Emerald Archer's former sidekick had forgotten that Raven had more than just telekinesis in her arsenal. Her empathy was telling her that he was sincere, yes, but there was more motivation than just loneliness.

"That's not all," she stated, after the awkward silence had made them both fall silent, looking in opposite directions. Speedy smiled at her and said, "And what am I leaving out, oh great one?" That cocky smile was back – her stomach was prepped and ready for the summer Olympics.

"I don't know," she muttered to the boy, who leaned forward. He was closer to her than ever and it made her feel breathless. What was wrong with her, goddammit?!

"Let's get out of here," he said, breathing his sweet breath across her pale skin. She crumpled her forehead: "But we haven't even ordered." He shrugged and stood, and the demoness followed suit. They exited the café, her following after him, his cologne washing across her petite frame. And, for the billionth time that evening, she wondered what the hell she was doing with Speedy, with Roy, the conceited, ignorant player that had never taken a second glance at her. At least, not while she was paying attention. They moved into the cool February air, her cheeks tingeing pink from the biting wind. Heading left, Speedy wrapped his arm around her small body, shielding her from the cold. She glanced up at him, as he was almost a foot taller than her, but he only smiled at her, the cold making him flush as well.

"I don't like being lonely," he said, pressing her tighter to him. She pulled away. She was not ready for even a friendship like this. But she smiled.

Because for the first time in oh-so-long, the first time since her father had come to her adoptive planet, she felt wholly and truly happy.

**Sorry about this chapter; not my best work, but I'm tired as all get out. Also, barely any cursing! I am AMAZED. Please enjoy and review!**

**Titangirl797**


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